


The Decision

by Lord_Byron_Mudkippington



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Humor, Marriage Proposal, Or is that tasteLESS nudity?, Romance, Tasteful Nudity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29963496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Byron_Mudkippington/pseuds/Lord_Byron_Mudkippington
Summary: Jealous of Nico's recent engagement, Eli wonders if it's time to propose to her girlfriend.
Relationships: Ayase Eli/Toujou Nozomi, Nishikino Maki/Yazawa Nico
Kudos: 28





	The Decision

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt I posted back on 12/30/2015 (“Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?” & “Marry me?”). You can tell it's over five years old because I was willing to write NicoMaki, even in a background mentioned role. This was back when people actually liked me. Crazy world, I know.

Eli had a lot on her mind, and as usual it was Nico's fault. Well, maybe that wasn't fair to say 'as usual', but it was definitely Nico's fault. If she wasn't such a braggart and could read the room for once in her life, this wouldn't be happening. Marriage was not a competition, yet Nico had spent all day dancing around Eli and gloating about how she had gotten engaged first. That somehow, despite the intense and obvious attraction she and Nozomi had, it was Maki and Nico who were getting married first. If it wasn't for her great respect for Maki, she would've taken that gigantic hunk of rock off Nico's ring finger and chucked it into the ocean.

This wasn't fair. She had loved Nozomi much longer than Nico loved Maki. Hell, the two of them had spent their first year of knowing each other bickering. On the other hand, she and Nozomi had clicked instantly, and their relationship had grown steadily from there. They were rock-solid from conception to present, unlike the drama that surrounded Nico and Maki like a tornado. Sometimes, Nico could be such a damn brat. If anything, _her_ relationship was actually the best, and she would easily win any other competition the four of them competed in. Wait... Wait, this was _not_ a competition. She didn't have to compare her relationship to theirs. Everybody's relationship was different, and just because Maki proposed before her didn't mean anything. That didn't lessen her own relationship. Besides, there were other things to consider. Like how she could toss Nico like a javelin over Maki's mansion.

Having gotten lost in her thoughts, she had forgotten what she was doing in the first place. She had been on autopilot, walking forward without a known purpose. It was only when she realized that fact that she stopped and took in her surroundings. While she was ruminating, her feet had led her unconsciously into the mall. "Huh...?" Blinking in confusion, she looked up to see that she walked right to a jewelry store. Okay, it was definitely bothering her. She knew that she loved Nozomi with all her heart, yet she hadn't proposed yet. Why was she waiting? They were young, but she was sure they would spend the rest of their lives together. She just needed to sack up and get hitched. Without hesitation, she walked into the store, eyes burning with determination. She was _not_ going to be bested by Nico.

"Good afternoon, ma'am!" chirped a woman behind a glass shelf full of jewelry. "Let me know if you need any help!" Help, huh? Actually, she _could_ use some help. She walked over to the counter, letting her eyes wander along the shelves. Everything was so shiny and placed so perfectly. There was too much, actually: the sheer amount of choices were making her head spin. It wasn't even all wedding rings. There were earrings, necklaces, and bracelets too, all of them made of precious stones and very expensive.

"Uh, yeah, I was looking for a wedding ring." It felt awkward saying it out loud, considering it was a spur of the moment idea. She kept scanning all of the different rings, a lot of them looking exactly the same to her. Their prices sure were different, though. How was she even supposed to pick one?

"Oh my, congratulations! I can absolutely help you!" The woman seemed very happy for her, which made her feel a bit awkward. Not that the enthusiasm was bad, but she was still trying to weigh her own hesitancy against her desire to rub it in Nico's stupid face. That wasn't something she wanted to mention, though. "Now, are you looking for a traditional diamond, or something a bit more out of the box? I've heard that a lot of young people are asking for sapphire rings these days."

"A diamond is probably fine." She wondered if it was obvious from the way she was speaking that she didn't know what she was doing. She didn't want this stranger to think she was a complete idiot. "Oh, this one looks nice." She pointed at a diamond set in a simple, thin silver band. For all her theatrics, Nozomi was a pretty down-to-earth girl. She couldn't imagine her wanting something super fancy, especially if it ended up bankrupting them. It was her money, but Nozomi always gave her that look when she was spending it foolhardy.

"That's a solitaire ring. It's a classic that's been around for a long time. I'm sure your partner will love it." She bent down and unlocked the case with a key that was on her keychain, carefully extracting the ring and handing it to Eli. Looking it over, she couldn't help but smile. It really _was_ beautiful, just like Nozomi. If she was going to do this, she wanted to make sure that Nozomi had a ring on her finger that emphasized her beauty. "Now, this is a one carat diamond, so it'll cost you 523,575 yen.

"Woah!" Eli nearly dropped the ring in surprise. Over 500,000 yen?! That was crazy! For just one little diamond?! "I think that's... a bit out of my price range." She handed it back much more carefully than she took it, afraid of dropping it and being forced into indentured servitude to repay the damages. If all wedding rings were that expensive, how was she ever going to afford one that Nozomi would love? Maybe she could disguise one of those one yen rings you get out of a gacha machine...

"That's totally fine, ma'am. What kind of price range are you looking for?"

"Uhm... Maybe 70,000 to 100,000 yen." Could she get a ring for that price? She swallowed nervously, wondering if the woman was going to ask her to leave for being a cheapskate, and that her partner deserved better. Did they do that at jewelry stores in the mall?

"I think I have an idea. Let's check over here." She moved over to the shelves to her left, and Eli followed, looking inside. It was a bunch of jewelry again, which was not surprising. They were probably all different, but she was going cross-eyed at the sheer amount of choice. "How do you feel about the style at the bottom, right in the middle?" She squatted down, taking a look at where the woman had suggested. This one looked similar to the last, though the ring itself was a pinkish color. She also noticed a row of smaller diamonds moving away from the big one in the middle. It was super pretty too. "That one is 100,000 yen."

"Hmm..." That ran right into her made-up ceiling for price, but it _was_ beautiful. It even had _more_ diamonds for a fifth of the price. That had to be a good deal, right? "I think she _would_ like it..." Just like the previous ring, it looked simple and classic: a style she knew would appeal to Nozomi. The price still made her chew her bottom lip with worry, but she thought about Nico's gleeful, gloating grin, sauntering around like she was the best thing since melted chocolate. Of course, the ring Nico had on was probably a _million_ yen, knowing Maki's misunderstanding of how to properly spend on girlfriends and Nico's flair for the dramatic. Still, she could at least dance a _little_. "I'll take it!"

"Excellent! I'll get this ready for you. Now, what ring size is your special someone?" Ring size? Oh... _Ohh_... Oh no. She was sweating now, Nozomi's hands appearing in her mind. She couldn't tell what their circumference was from a mental image, though. How was she supposed to know that?! Who kept knowledge of their partner's ring size in their memory banks? Besides, if she tried to get that information, it would be so blatantly obvious what the reason was, and Nozomi wouldn't be surprised. This was a conundrum she stupidly wasn't prepared for.

"Oh, the... the ring size. Uhm, I have it here somewhere. Can I get a minute?" The woman nodded, and Eli quickly moved to the other end of the store, pulling her phone out and dialing Kotori's number. She waited for three agonizing rings, the phone pressed tightly against her ear as she kept looking around the store. What if someone overheard her and judged her for it?

"Hey Eli! What's up?" Kotori's chirpy, high-pitched voice was music to her ears.

"Kotori! I'm at the mall getting a ring to propose to Nozomi, and I don't-"

"Size five."

"Oh, uh... Woah, I... How did you know?"

"Why else would you be calling?" Kotori giggled, as if it was so obvious. Was it really? "Maki called for the same reason when she was getting a ring for Nico. It's amazing you two don't know your girlfriends' ring sizes. Don't worry, though. I've got you covered!" Eli breathed out with a sigh of relief, thanking the Gods above that Kotori had answered and had the size on hand. Though it sounded like she had just recited it from memory. How many sizes of theirs did she know by heart, exactly? "When you two are planning your wedding, make sure to call me for a wedding dress discount! I have Nozomi's sizes, so I'll get started on making one for her. I'll make it with a lower bust line just because I love you, Eli."

"That is concerning, but uh, thank you Kotori. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Mmkay, bye bye!" Eli hung up and sighed, wondering how she had made such wonderful but weird friends. She put her phone back in her pocket as she returned to the counter, telling the woman with confidence that Nozomi's ring size was five. Then she waited around for the ring to be properly fitted, sitting in a chair and checking her phone. When it was ready, she was excited by the sight of the ring in a soft purple box, little lights inside lighting up the ring in all its splendor. Of course, she was _less_ excited to pay the hundred thousand yen, but that was just a thing one did for love.

She left the store with the ring hidden in her pocket, her hand stuffed in there to make sure it didn't fall out. If she lost that thing, she'd probably jump off the top of the parking garage. Now she just needed to get home and propose to her girlfriend.

* * *

Her hands had been shoved deep inside her pockets for the entire walk to her car, and then after she had gotten out of her car on her way to the front door of her apartment. She kept running her fingers across the small box nestled within her pockets like it was an anxiety toy. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about what she was planning to do. All these crazy scenarios were running through her head. Was it the right time? Would Nozomi even say yes? Of course she would, and yet the doubts seeped in. Maybe she should've given it more thought rather than let Nico get under her skin, but it was a bit too late for that. The ring had already been purchased. She _could_ go back and return it, but... Ugh, what was she thinking? With a sigh, she unlocked the door and went inside. Maybe she needed to sleep on it. The ring could still be returned in the morning if she changed her mind.

She removed her shoes at the front door, head down as she tread the familiar path to her room. There was so much on her mind that she was basically on autopilot. She opened the door to her room, waving at Nozomi on her bed before kicking the door closed. "Hey Nozo... mi..." Wait, something was wrong. She was in her apartment, but she was not alone in it. Nozomi was definitely on her bed. When had she even gotten in? _How_ had she gotten in? There were a lot of questions that completely evaporated once she raised her head and actually took a good look at Nozomi. She was wearing a big smile... and nothing else. Yup, okay, she was naked. Her cheeks were quickly burning up, and she was staring with her mouth hanging open. What was she supposed to say? Something. Anything. Just don't stand there like an idiot!

"Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?" Well, that was something. As wild and unexpected as the situation was, her eyes were quick to adjust. They were automatically drawn to Nozomi's bared curves, soaking in her full, voluptuous figure. She let her gaze trail along her sides, down her posed legs, then slowly sliding back up to her bountiful chest... No, wait, she needed to stop and concentrate. Okay, so she _was_ concentrating, but exclusively on Nozomi's body. She was so weak...

"Is there ever a reason to _not_ be naked in your bed?" Nozomi giggled airily, clearly enjoying Eli's embarrassment. She milked it for what it was worth, pushing her chest out and running her hands down it and down her stomach, her breasts bouncing slightly from the movement. Gods damn...

"Uh, I... Uh..." Eli didn't have a good response to that. Her brain was malfunctioning, leaving her helpless to Nozomi's whims. When Nozomi beckoned her towards the bed, she was unable to resist. That was how she got on the bed next to her grinning, naked girlfriend, feeling her heart pounding heavily. This was not giving her much time to think on the prominent issue at hand.

"So Elicchi," Nozomi breathed huskily, leaning in to nip Eli's ear. "Is there something you want, mm?"

"Marry me?" That was... not right. Okay, so it _was_ right, but this wasn't exactly the mood she had expected to be in when she _did_ propose. Maybe Nozomi hadn't noticed and she could salvage the moment. Her voice could've been so low that the words were nonsensical.

"Did you just ask me to marry you?" Nope, there was no salvaging the moment. Nozomi was staring at her with wide, confused eyes, and she was still _very much naked._ It was making it hard for Eli to concentrate. She needed to backtrack now, or she was going to look like even more of an idiot than she already appeared to be.

"I... I think I might have... You are so very, very hot." Okay, so maybe not. Nozomi started to laugh, and Eli finally gave into her rising embarrassment, flopping down and hiding her face in the bed covers, groaning audibly. A gentle hand ran through her hair, calming her a little bit. Peering up at Nozomi, she muttered quietly, "I kind of expected this to go differently."

"Really?" Nozomi laughed again. "I always figured that I'd be naked when you finally proposed to me."

"Oh Gods..." Back to the covers Eli went. The embarrassment was never going to end, would it? This was still somehow Nico's fault, she was sure of it.

"Elicchi, you don't have to do this if you're not ready." Eli looked up once more to see Nozomi's gentle smile, a smile that so easily melted her heart. "I don't ever want you to feel pressured in our relationship." She bent down and gently kissed the top of Eli's head, and it was that tiny gesture that made her decision so much easier.

"I am ready, though!" Eli hopped back up on her knees, trying not to get tripped up by how oh-so deliciously naked Nozomi was. "I love you, Nozomi! You're the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Let me just..." She reached into her jacket pocket, trying to get up on one knee. "... try again..." Somehow she ended up on both knees instead, nearly falling into Nozomi's chest. She was a complete and total disaster. She really couldn't blame Nozomi when she nearly fell over laughing. Finally she got the box out of her pocket and opened it, revealing the sparkling ring. Tugging it gently out of its holding place, she held it up for Nozomi to see. "Will you marry me?"

For what felt like an eternity, Nozomi just stared at her, awestruck. Her bottom lip was trembling, and Eli could see tears forming in her eyes. The first thought to reach her mind was 'You messed up.' However, that wasn't anywhere close to the answer she got. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" She held out her hand, having to take a few seconds to make it stop shaking. Eli carefully put it on Nozomi's ring finger, her worries vanishing the moment it rested snug on the digit. She smiled happily as the two embraced, only somewhat embarrassed by Nozomi's naked breasts pressing against her own. It had happened in a flash, but holding Nozomi close to her, she didn't regret it. This was what she wanted. She wanted Nozomi, and that meant she was making the right decision.

"You know, Elicchi," Nozomi said, that same cattish grin splitting her face. "This is now my new favorite thing you've done on your knees."

"Nozomiii!"


End file.
